OSHA Compliance Posts

This is OSHA’s HAZWOPER (1910.120) Inspection Activity for their 2020 Fiscal year (October 2019 through September 2020).  I have broken down the data by # of Citations, # of Inspections, Penalty $’s, and NAICS Industry Classification.  As you can see, OSHA issued 38 citations from 19 inspections for a total of $130,373 in fines.  Here…...

This is OSHA’s Respiratory Protection (1910.134) Inspection Activity for their 2020 Fiscal year (October 2019 through September 2020).  I have broken down the data by # of Citations, # of Inspections, Penalty $’s, and NAICS Industry Classification.  As you can see, OSHA issued 2,408 citations from 1,018 inspections for a total of $4,267,147 in fines. …...

This is OSHA’s Permit-Required Confined Space (1910.146) Inspection Activity for their 2020 Fiscal year (October 2019 through September 2020).  I have broken down the data by # of Citations, # of Inspections, Penalty $’s, and NAICS Industry Classification.  As you can see, OSHA issued 292 citations from 80 inspections for a total of $2,666,983 in…...

This is OSHA’s LOTO (1910.147) Inspection Activity for their 2020 Fiscal year (October 2019 through September 2020).  I have broken down the data by # of Citations, # of Inspections, Penalty $’s, and NAICS Industry Classification.  As you can see, OSHA issued 1,699 citations from 962 inspections for a total of $10,602,486 in fines.  Here…...

I think I can announce my retirement, as I have collected a nickel every time a safety professional stated “we have no pressure vessels on-site, so there is no need for us to worry”.  I am always saddened by the lack of understanding of major hazards within workplaces and the fact that so many in…...

Someone requested OSHA to address the growing field of virtual reality safety and health training. Their letter constitutes OSHA’s interpretation ONLY of the requirements herein, and may not be applicable to any questions not delineated in the original correspondence. Your paraphrased questions and our responses follow. Question: We have been told online, commercially available, training…...

OSHA’s latest position on testing electrical gloves is very enlightening!  For example, even if the gloves are simply electrically tested and then returned to storage, OSHA regards the gloves as being issued for use!  This is a new one on me, but in their latest LOI they discuss the following scenario: gloves got tested on…...

I am sharing this OSHRC decision to demonstrate how a citation can be vacated with PROPER supervision and training on machine hazards, guarding, and LOTO.  In this case, an employee opened a guard, reached into the machine to clean/clear breading and the machine started – grabbed his smock and caused serious injuries to his right…...

Many consumers may have never heard of “nitriding”, but just about every metal component in heavy equipment will go through a “nitriding process” to strengthen the metal.  And it is this nitriding process that many businesses have a HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL/PROPRIETARY blend for their process.  Seems everyone has a slightly different blend and they hold this…...

It seems that just about every month, even during the COVID Pandemic, we come across a safety professional, 3rd party auditor, and even an OSHA CSHO who will swear on his/her grandmother’s grave that the ONLY acceptable HAZCOM labels in the workplace are those that contain: Product identifier; Signal word; Hazard statement(s); Pictogram(s); Precautionary statement(s);…...

At 7:00 p.m. on December 4, 2019, an employee was working at a machine shop. He was operating a CNC (computer numerical control) lathe to machine material. The machine was equipped with an interlock system.  The interlock system was supposed to prevent the lathe from functioning if its door was open; however, the interlock system…...

I am going to guess that the facility’s inventory was less than 10,000 pounds of Propylene as OSHA issued no PSM citations, only a HAZCOM training citation and a GDC citation for four (4) issues they found with how the flammable gas was managed.  Another incident showing OSHA’s weakness with “flammable gases”; they NEED a…...